Though many people idolize the ideas of chivalry in reality the idea was completely unable to be upheld. Chivalry gives men a since of entitlement to "protect" the weak and defend women but in a way chivalry is pretty insulting to both men and women, and creates a system where men are placed in a system of power over women and doesn't give women the idea that they can take care of themselves, leaving men with the constant worry of having to protect there women, and if something happens to the women then the men feel guilty for not providing adequate protection. The code of chivalry commands that women allow men to protect them but that in and of itself makes women vulnerable meaning that independence is stunted and the progression of women's ability to be anything in a "male dominated society is curbed, meaning that the only fulfillment that women can enjoy is being a mother or a teacher.
The problem with chivalry at it's core was that basically it was used as a way to keep the classes from each other, in that chivalry was a code of conduct for knights whose job was to protect there king by killing people, so the code could give these nights something to use as justification for there actions. to my mind it was used as a weapon to blind people to reality so they could maintain there society
I have to slightly disagree with this. At its core I think chivalry is a good principle, it's always nice to think that men uphold a certain honor in which that vow to protect the weak and innocent. Outdated as it is, chivalry has its benefits. However, I do agree that when held at such a strict standard it can prove detrimental. No one should be forced into agreeing to the code of chivalry, nor shamed if they cannot or do not uphold it. I think it should, or did, serve as something to strive towards rather than a strict set of rules that must be followed.
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